Schwarzenegger Set To Lay Down Sword

October 5, 1985|By TOM SABULIS

It is interesting how a hit movie can change an actor's mind.

A few years ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger was an ex-bodybuilding champ cracking the Hollywood big time with a series of comic-book adventures based on a barbarian named Conan. The former Mr. Olympia had just signed a contract with mogul Dino De Laurentiis for five Conan movies, and he was turning down comic roles, because, he said, ''If I did comedy, I couldn't be taken seriously in these action movies.''

Today, Schwarzenegger's goals are to star in a comedy and end his association with both Conan and De Laurentiis. He said he has made his last Conan movie, and he referred to Red Sonja, a recent De Laurentiis- Schwarzenegger collaboration, as ''one of those typically stupid Dino De Laurentiis movies.''

The reason for Schwarzenegger's change of heart can be summed up in two words: The Terminator.

Last year's hit action film was inspired by Schwarzenegger's decision to ditch his heroic image and play the villainous title character, a mechanical assassin from the future sent back to present-day Los Angeles to rewrite history.

With The Terminator, Schwarzenegger, 38, also discovered new credibility. Critics praised his determination to smash his Hollywood stereotype and make a movie that did not require him to cavort half-naked and continuously flex his muscles. He also found the perfect way to get around his heavy Austrian accent and limited acting experience: He played mean and kept his dialogue to a minimum.

Commando, which opened Friday, is Schwarzenegger's first starring vehicle since The Terminator. He appeared briefly this summer in Red Sonja, which bombed, but he did so only to reduce his commitment to De Laurentiis. At the same time, he worked out a deal for one more action picture that will end his contractual obligation to the producer.

Schwarzenegger regards Commando as something of a stretching exercise. He plays Col. John Matrix, the retired leader of an elite military strike force who turns urban guerrilla in order to rescue his kidnapped daughter. The actor says he likes the role because his character shows a soft, sensitive fatherly side. But make no mistake -- the commercial appeal of Commando lies in its explosive similarities to Rambo: First Blood, Part II. The film's body count reaches three dozen. The action includes a bloody shoot-out in a shopping mall, and, among his other Herculean feats, Schwarzenegger tips over cars and rips out a phone booth.

There is a lighter side to Commando, however, and it gives some indication to the direction Schwarzenegger wants his career to take. He has added more humor to his performance. His character delivers several drop-dead lines that work on different levels and complement the screwball personality of Rae Dawn Chong, who plays an excitable stewardess inadvertently involved in the rescue effort.

The comic side of his character is part of Schwarzenegger's master plan. Down the road, he wants to star in a major comedy, but he is wary of making the jump too soon.

''If you change too quick, the fans protest,'' he said. '' If people see you doing comedy well in an action film, and then you tell them you're doing a straight comedy, they will also go to see that.''